Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-03-11
RAWLINs' INFLUENCE OVER GRANT.


When we all returned to Washing
ton in 1865. Gen. Eawlins and myself
finally arranged to keep house IN partner
ship and share the expenses jointly. |
then being in charge of The New York
Herald bureau at Washington. These
facts. well known to the public men of
that 1av, are mentioned now in no spirit
OF egotism by me, but rather as a letter
of Cre:ieuce to another generation which
has come to the front since then. and to
show that | was in position to share many
condolences and be intrusted with many
secrets which must of necessity be con-
fined to a few persons.
Gen. Rawlins influence upon the per-
sonal habits of Gen. Grant commenced
within a week after his arrival at Cairo
in August, 1861, to accept the appoint
ment of assistant adjutant general with
the rank of captain. He found Gen.
Grant S Office was substantially in his hat
or pockets. as convenience prompted and
the camp story was but slightly eXagger-
ated. which asserted that half his gen
eral orders were blowing about in the
sand and dirt of the streets of Cairo. All
was soon reduced to order. and Office
also found much registering and drinking
at headquarters among the stall officers
and their invited guests. Discipline
among them there was none. and as a
rule but little Difference to rank and mill
tary custom. He soon forcsaw that if
Gen. Grant was to have any future
promption all this must he changed. and
having cast in his lot with him for the
better or for worse, he set about the diff
ticult and thankless job of correcting
these evils.
PROHIBITION AT HEADQUARTERS.
He obtained Gen. Grants consent to
the issuance of an order forbidding any
open uae of liquors or public drinking
at headquarters. This was the first
foundation stone upon which the whole
superstructure of Grants greatness was
thereafter erected. Having Grants au-
thoritv for this step, given, perhaps, with
little thought of the iron determination
at its back. it was from that day to the
end of the war mercilesslv enforced. No
one ever saw any open public drinking
at Gen. Grants headquarters from that
/ time forward There was much rebellion
among the staff. Many of them tried to
| ignore its provisions, but found themselves
throttlcd by the iron hand Of Rawlns.
Finding themselves powerless, they
next rcsorted to keeping private stores of
bottled liquors in their own tents, inviting
their friends in there. dropping the flap
of the tent and sometimes having a
carouse. 1t was soon noticed that these
officers lost caste, We're ordered to their
regiments or in some way removed from
headquarters. Later on it was no secret
that amy staff officer who offered the
general a glass of liquor, or drank wi h
him, or in any way whatever connived
at his taking single drink. would be
disgracefully dismissed and actually de-
graded in rank as soon as it could be
brought about There was much indig-
nation expressed ut first against this arbi-
trary authority exercised by Capt. Maj.
and Lieut.. Col. Rawlins as he reached these
promotions. by the full colonies on the
staff, who claimed the prerogatives OF
superior rank. But Gen. Grant sustained
his adjutant. and respected him the more
for the stand he took. because he knew il
to he turning point in his own life. =
Adam Badeau in Cincinnati Gazette.